Gage-glass.



No. 821,872. PATENTED MAY29, 1906. O. B. & P. W. HODGES.

GAGE GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 24. 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

0. B. & F. W. HODGES.

GAGE GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED DIX/:24. 1903 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

,872' PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

U. B. S2: F. W.JHODGES.

GAGE GLASS,

APPLICATION FILED 11110.24. 1003.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

glass ordinarily used unsafe.

UNITED STATES CLARENCE B. HODGES AND FREDERICK W. HODGES, OF DETROIT,

MICHIGAN. j

eneaetnes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that we, CLARENCE B. HODGES and FREDERICK W. HODGES, citizens of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Gage-Glasses, of which the ollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

This invention relates to improvements in gage-glasses, more particularly for use'with locomotives, but which are adapted for use in marine, stationary, or other practice where gage-glasses are required.

The rapidly-increasing pressures-of steam used more especially in the modern locomotivehavemade the tubular form of gage- This fact is recognized by many railroads, which have removed gage-glasses from their locomotives,

although the advantages derived by the engineman and others in the use of such a glass, so long as its safety is insured, is well recognized, and therefore various means have been suggested and devised for producing a safe glass, but so far as we are advised with but little success.

In the more ordinary form of gage-glass the upper portion of the tube subjected to the action of steam is quickly cut out or frosted in appearance, so that the water-level becomes indistinct, and this-condition having been reached it becomes necessary to throw away the entire glass and replace it with a new one. Y

In our improvement, the glass being of a sectional characterthat is to say, made up of'a metallic casing and removable glassesof great strength-tin s objection is obviated, inasmuch as an individual glass, each one being separate rom all the others, may be removed and repolished or'another substituted therefor.

In our invention the casing and the glasses are of such character that the entire structure is able to withstand. the highest pressures carried, and special means are devised to pro vide the necessary strength in the construction of the casing, the character of the glass or glasses entering thereinto, and the mode of packing the glass.

Ayery important feature of this inven tion 1s 1n the packing, which acts in such inan-v ner that the glass is not subjected to the strains of ackmg or expansion and contraction, as is t e case with all other glasses which have come to our notice. I

In our invention the glass is so packed'that the strain comes upon its sides instead of upon its face, thereby enabling the making of a perfeet joint with less pressure and less liability of breakage than in ordinary practice, and the construction and action are such that in the preferred form, the pressure being on the interior of the glass, the latter packs itself automatically, the sides being so arranged in relation to the packing that the pressure on the interior face of the glass forces said glass outwardly into the packing, thereby making a perfect joint on the side surfaces of the glass.

Another feature of our improvement consists in a sectional glass in which the glasses proper are located opposite to each other or at various angles with reference to a line drawn through'the vertical section of the instrument. In some instances" a reflector is emplo ed in connection with our gage-glass wherefiy the. better to enable the observer to see the exact level of the water. 1

Other features of im rovement will appear particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompan ing drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation 0 our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4-is an elevation of a modified form of the invention. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; .Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 shows the glass of Figs. 4, 5, and 6 removed from the casing. Fig. 8 shows a further modified form of the invention, and Fig. 9 a vertical longitudinal section on the line 9 9. of Fig. 8. Figs 10 to 15, inclusive, show modificatlons in the shape of the glasses.

Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the respective figures.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the metallic casing 1 has the usual upper steam connection 2 and the lower water connection 3, the latter being controlled by means of the valve 4. The casing is provided on opposite sides with perforations, and, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the axes of the openmgs on the opposite sides are not concentric,

in the description whic follows and are more although it is fully within our invention that the said oppositely-arranged openings may be concentric. Each opening 5 is furnished with an outer boss 6, interiorly threaded, as shown, and within each opening is placed an observation-glass 7 of substantial thickness to withstand the pressure to which it is subjected.

As shown in Figs, 1, 2, and 3 the observation-glass is of the bulls-eye type, its surface partaking of three geometrical iigures an outer smaller cylinder 7 an innerlarger cylinder 7 and an intervening frusto-conical fig ure 7*the two cylinders and the frusto-eonical central portion uniting to form the. observationglass, such as is shown exteriorly and in section in Fi 2. An annular packing 8 surrounds each 0%)S8XV2Lti0f1-glfiSS, an exterior portion of the glass bearing upon or against the interior of said packing, while screwed into each threaded boss 6 is a threaded cap 9, which when in position binds against the acking and compresses it upon the glass. t is obvious that the internal pressure to which the glass or series of glasses is subjected tends to force said glass or glasses against the packing, so that the greater the pressure to which the glass or glasses are ex osed the more perfect is the automatic pac ring action. The thickness of the observation-glasses is such that they will readily withstand the pressure to which they are subjected.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are seen modifications of our invention, but one observation-glass 7 being shown, extending substantially the length of the metallic casing. In this case the glass 7 is given the same shape or formation. upon its edge as is found upon the exterior of the observati(in-glasses seen in Figs. 1 2, and 3 in so far as a central tapered or inclined portion is provided adapted to be pressed up by internal pressure against the same form of packing has already been described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3. As seen. in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 the cap 9 is ct modified form compared with the cap 9 of the previously-described iigures, consisting oi a plate having a shoulder or tongue 5)", which is forced up against. the packing 8 by means oi bolts 11). The plate is open centrally, so as to freely discover the observation-glass. Fig. 7 shows in perspective the modified form of glass employed in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

In Figs. 8 and t) the observation-glass 7" partakcs oi the format ions'ol the observationglasses 01' Figs. 1,3, and f; and 4, 5 and 7' a that to in Figs. (4 and t) the glass is not circular in cross-section, as in the 'iirslnan1ed iigures, but is elongated, being circular at its ends, but not elongated to the extent l'ound in Figs. 4, 5, and 7. in other words, the observation-glasses of Figs. 8 and 9 are the same as in l ig 5. and 7 and are provided with the same description of caps except that the glasses and caps are shorter, a series being used instead of a single glass and cap. The packing in all cases is the same in princi ple and operation, acting in all forms of the invention with a glass having a taperedside or edge or its equivalent which'is pressed up against the packing by pressure, the glass or glasses thus automatically seating themselves against the packing.

While in Figs. 1 to 9, both inclusive, the glasses are shown of uniform shape in crosssect-ion, it is within our invention to vary the shape of the glass, as indicated in Figs. 10 to 15, both inclusive. Thus the glass may be either conical, triangular, or polygonal and either square or round in cross-section or a modification of any of such forms and capable of being packed in substantially the manner hereinbefore described and accomplish the same results. It will be understood that such modifications in the shape of the glass extend to such as is of" the bulls-eye type or having the elongation shown in Figs. 4, 5, 7, 8, and

F 10 to 15, both inclusive, show in transverse section various shapes of glasses. These glasses are indicated by 7, 7 7, 7 7 and 7 Fig. 10 may represent in cross-section either-a cylindrical or a spherical glass, and Figs. 11 to 15, both inclusive, may indicate glasses of the bulls-eye type or of prismatic character either of the elongated form, as indicated in Figs. 4, 5, and '7, or of the shorter form shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

In Figs. 5 and 6 arefieetor 11 is shown placed longitudinally of and at the back of the casing 1, by 11163118 of which the level of water is better observed and reflected through the obsmvation-glass. A reflector may be used with any term of observation-glass or series ol such glasses herein shown entering into our invention.

Another important advantage incident to our invention is that the side surfaces of a glass ol" sullicicnt thickness to safely Withstand the pressure and. to permit ol" its being packed in the manner described may be so polished asto act as mirrors, not only for in wardly reflecting the light, but also for rellecting the n'iovemcnt of liquid within the casing, thereby widely increasing the range of vision.

We do not restrict ourselves to the exact details olconstruction, combination, and arrangement. herein set forth, it being obvious that minor 'ariations thereol" not involving the exercise of invention may be made by the skilled mechanic, and such departures from what is herein described and claimed not involving invention we consider as Within the scope and terms of our claims.

llaving thus described our invention, we claim-- 1. Agagc-glass consisting of a metallic casy sides of the g1 ass and means for engaging packing, the construction being such that the glass under internal pressure is selfseating against the packing, substantially as set ierth.

,i gage-glass consisting of a metallic cashaving apertures upon opposite sides of, combined with observationlasses adapted for insertion in one of said aperand having sides inclined with reference iine drawn horizontally through said from front to rea and at a right angle front face of the casing, the sides of said diverging from the exterior toward the 101 oi the wasing, a packing for each inclosed within one of said apertures l mbracing the sides of the glass, and V for engaging said packing, the conwTilCtlOH being such that the glass under inut? pressure self-seating against the substantially as set forth.

g consisting of a perforated in casing combined with transparent i s having sides inclined with reference to one drawii horizontally through said means in front to rear and at a right angle to the cc of the casing, the sides of said trans- )'s1 -"1iS diverging from the exterior to i r of the casing, reflecting means in YES 65% Quiz the rear of said transparent means, a packing for the transparent means, and means for engaging said packing, the construction being such that the transparent means under pres sure is self-seating against the packing, sub stantially as set forth.

4. A gage-glass consisting of a metallic casing having an aperture combined. with an obstarvation-glass adapted to fit said aperture but leaving an annular space between the sides of the glass and the walls of the aperture, said space converging from the exterior tovard the interior of the casing, a packing inclosed Wi thin said annular space, and means for retaining said packing in place, the construction being such that the strain of the packing is on the sides of the substantially as set forth;

5. A gage-glass consisting of a metallic casing having an aperture combined with an observation-glass having its sidesinclined with reference to a line drawn horizontally through said glass from front to rear and at a right an" gle to the front face of the casing, the sides of said glass diverging from the exterior toward the interior of the casing, the inclined sides of the observation-glass being arranged to internally reflect the movement of the liquid within the casing, and a packing against which the glass under internal pressure is self-seating substantially as set forth.-

In testimony whereof We hereunto set our 70 hands.

CLARENCE B. HODGES. FREDERICK W. HODGES, Witnesses:

A. B. WETMORE,

JOHN Cornsw 

